


Plus One

by thekashiwagiway



Category: Peach Girl
Genre: Everyone Thinks They're Together, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Slow Burn, im also not tagging kairi/misao fuck that, im gay and i hate kairi, momo and sae dont even know theyre fake dating but i dont care, thats the one. i hate putting tags.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2020-03-06 00:59:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18840394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekashiwagiway/pseuds/thekashiwagiway
Summary: Kairi and Misao are getting married, and they were gracious enough to send Momo a pity invite at the last minute. Momo brings Sae along as "emotional support" and definitely not for the drama of it all.





	1. Let's Fuck It Up!

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place around the time period of Peach Girl NEXT, but if you have a passing knowledge of it you'll be fine.

The gentle slip of paper breaching the envelope echoed throughout the room, the smell of days-old perfume left on the surface of it already turning the flowery scent musty. The bumps of the cardstock rubbed against the pads of Momo’s fingertips as she held it, running her fingers around the sides. Lamplight caught the metallic gold writing, blinding her.  


She kept reading it. Her eyes mechanically rolled over the first two words. “You’re invited! You’re invited! You’re invited!” She could hear their voices mocking her in a chorus, loudly traveling throughout her mind. “Come to our wedding, you lonely doofus! Come see us do after eight months what you couldn’t even do after _ten years_!”  


Momo let go of the invitation, letting it hit the table with an unceremonious and airy “thump,” followed by the much more solid thud of Momo letting her head hit the table.  


 “Ow.”  


“That’s gonna leave a you good little bump,” Sae’s voice cooed from behind Momo’s back. She could feel Sae lean over her and pick the invitation up. “And right in time for… Okayasu’s wedding? Yeesh.”  


“I’m going to die,” Momo groaned, muffled by the surface of the table.  


“You should upstage his wedding by holding your funeral on the same day, then.” Momo heard the swish of Sae tossing the invitation in one way or another. “Bum everyone out.”  


“He’s such an asshole,” Momo continued, ignoring Sae. She sat up, grabbing a chunk of her own hair in her hand against her scalp. “Like, what a shitty position to put me in! I either don’t go and I’m the bitch who can’t just get over it, or I go and I’m totally alone and he knows that I’m single while he’s all _happy_ that I’m not over him, and… God!” She threw her hands up in the air and brought them back down loudly onto the tabletop as fists.  


“Just bring Toji,” Sae suggested, her voice accompanied by the clinking of glass from the fridge.  


“Maybe that’s part of it. Maybe he wants to see if I bring Toji and that he was right all along and that I really _did_ cast the first infidelity stone, or, whatever. Dickhead.”  


“Hey, I’ll drink to that!” Sae lifted a glass of orange juice and threw it back like she was taking a shot. Followed by coughing and gagging.  


Sae’s hacking somehow gave Momo an idea.  


 “I can bring _you_ with me,” Momo said.  


Sae squinted at Momo inquisitively, tears still in the corners of her eyes from the failed orange juice shot. “Huh?”  


“Okayasu _hates_ you,” Momo stood up and started to pace around her living room, feeling Sae’s eyes follow her. “If I bring you, it’d really show him. That he was wrong about me and Toji, that... That…”  


“Okay!” Sae answered with an over-excited grin. She ran, tripping over herself, and grabbed Momo’s hands in her own. “Let’s fuck it up!”  


 - - - - -  


Unfortunately, her plan came with a wrench already in it. And also a machine that continuously threw wrenches into it at regular intervals. Momo came to that realization on the excruciating taxi ride to the hotel. And also the week she had before the wedding. But mostly on the taxi ride.  


Three hours of bumpy roads, the sound of an old and rumbling engine drowning out the driver’s soft oldies music on the radio, and the early morning but nonetheless hot sun scorching her unfortunately bare arms and legs through the window. She’d glance over at Sae—who slept most of the way—periodically, watching her head bounce limply with the rhythm of her car and her lithe fingers twitch. Insignificant observations kept Momo grounded when stressed, but she kept getting sucked back into all the claustrophobic concerns in her head. Maybe bringing Sae wasn’t the best idea; it was petty at best, more pathetic than going alone at worst. What was she aiming to do? Ruin Kairi’s wedding? That wasn’t like her. She didn’t _want_ to… Right?  


Momo told herself she just wanted company, company that Kairi wouldn’t be super happy with but wouldn’t make him question her faithfulness while they were dating and wouldn’t cause her any emotional distress. But it _was_ Sae, so… Scratch the latter, maybe.  


The hotel room had two ironically lonely twin beds. Sae claimed the one closest to the window overlooking some other buildings, tossing her luggage onto it and skipping into the bathroom to “get off the taxi sweat.”   


Beckoning to her, the bed by the door sat in dreary lighting and a thin duvet on top. Momo’s ass felt so sore from the ride over that she just wanted to rest it on something with even the false promise of comfort. She sat on the edge of the bed, holding her bag against her chest like a security blanket. She should’ve just declined.  


A knock came from the door. They’d just arrived, so the idea of someone knowing where they were already sent Momo’s head spinning. Cautiously, Momo set her bag beside her and moved towards the door, opening it ever so slowly.  


“Hey, Momo,” Kairi said with a bashful smile, drawing out his vowels and rubbing his neck.  


“Hi,” Momo replied quietly. He seemed taller than last time she’d seen him.  


“Look, I’m… I’m really glad you came.” He took a step towards her. Momo shrank back. “I… You’re a really important part of my life, you know? I know it’s been… Rough… But it’d be wrong if you weren’t here. We basically grew up together, you know?”  


The corners of Momo’s mouth twitched with a smile. She let out a warm exhale. “And that’s why you waited until the week before to invite me, right? Not because Misao made you invite me?”  


Kairi chuckled and looked up. “That, uh…” He sighed lightly. “Okay, you caught me.” He looked back at Momo. “But I’m seriously glad you’re here. You’re still my best friend, you know? I’ve missed you.”  


Momo’s heart clenched as if squeezing the tears up to her eyes. To say she didn’t feel the same would be a lie, even if she didn’t want to admit it. She looked down at her hands, still smiling while holding back her dumb, sentimental tears, and picked at her cuticles. And then she froze. She remembered Sae.  


“I saw you brought a plus-one,” Kairi continued. He nudged Momo with his elbow and winked. “Mind if I meet the ol’ ball-and-chain?”  


“Um!” Momo felt the hot sensation of dread spread from her head to her toes. “I do mind, actually! You can’t meet him. He’s not here! He broke up with me! Aw, nuts!”  


Kairi laughed again. “Um… I can hear the shower running…”  


“That’s for me. I was about to get in the shower.”  


“With your… Clothes on?”  


“All the kids are doing it nowadays.”  


“Mo… What’s going on…?”  


As if summoned, Sae slid out of the bathroom, hair wet and wrapped in a towel. Steam trailed after her as if attached to her feet.  


“Okayasu!” She called, putting a hand to her cheek in faux-surprise and keeping the other attached tightly to the point at which the towel was folded. “It’s _so_ good to see you!”  


Unmoving, Kairi stared at her. He furrowed his brow and looked back at Momo as if expecting an explanation. Momo kept her mouth tightly shut, quickly averting her eyes from Kairi’s direction and making sure not to look at Sae either. She ended up just looking at the ceiling. Obviously not wanting that as his answer, Kairi grabbed Momo’s wrist, tugging her forearm upward. Momo jolted forward and tripped over her own feet as Kairi dragged her outside the hotel room. He slammed the door behind him with the palm of his hand and fixed a hard, concerned gaze onto Momo.  


“Momo,” He began, his voice almost an octave lower than before. “Is everything alright?”  


“Yeah, why?” Momo shifted in place uncomfortably.  


“Why’s Sae here?”  


“Because—.”  


“Is she threatening you? Blackmailing you?”  


“God, _no_ , Okayasu.”  


“That’s what you would say if you were being threatened.” He grasped her shoulder tightly. “You can tell me. I can handle it. You know she doesn’t mess with me.”  


“Can you quit it?” Momo jerked away, backed into a wall. “I’m not in any danger!”  


“It’s just…” Kairi gestured towards the door, twirling his hand around as if at a loss for words. “Sae.”  


“Look, I,” Momo once again avoided meeting Kairi’s eyes. “I get it, but we’ve been… Pretty close after our breakup you know. And after the Toji thing…”  


Kairi’s voice started to rise. “What ‘Toji thing’?”  


“That’s…! It’s none of your business, okay? Just… She’s my plus-one. I brought her because _I_ wanted to.”  


Kairi took a half step backwards. Something about the atmosphere turned… Ugly. Ugly in a way that Momo couldn’t describe or even understand the source of. Apprehension began creeping up on her, nonetheless.  


“I didn’t know it was like that,” he said flatly.  


“Well,” Momo started, not having anything else to say. She left her mouth open as if her own silence could replace the one spread between them.  


“I didn’t know _you_ were like that.”  


Like… What? Conniving? Looking back at Kairi, Momo desperately searched for reassurance, or at least a way to nonverbally explain to him she wasn’t “like that.” She knew Sae had rubbed off on her a little, but… She didn’t want Kairi to resent her like he did Sae. That wasn’t her. She brought Sae to piss him off a little, but…  


“I’ll…” Kairi extended his hand as if to pat Momo’s shoulder—and impersonal gesture—but he retracted it, hesitating just a moment in mid-motion before dropping it back at his side. “I’ll see you later, Momo.”  


He gave a final half-hearted wave before leaving, walking down the hallway with his hands in his pockets. Heart heavy enough to fall straight through the floor, Momo watched him disappear beyond the corner of the wall.  


Momo quickly came to the conclusion that she wouldn’t be able to get through this wedding sober.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this techncially isnt my first chapter fic but im considering it my firsst so shut up. hi there this is my first chapter fic its another fake date thing i ho9pe u like :3 im writing the second chapter now but idk aaboout the time frame of the others so painchence pls. i know i keep making kairi a home of phobe but its just so easy


	2. I Diagnose You With Gay

Momo rushed back into the hotel room and made a beeline for the minifridge. Sae lounged on her shitty twin bed, hair and body each wrapped in a towel, and tried to make an offhand (and somewhat mean-spirited) comment that fell on deaf ears. Crouching down, Momo threw open the door to the sound of glass clinking against more glass and fished out a handful of tiny bottles of booze.  


“You have a rich friend, right?” Momo asked without waiting for an answer to start downing two at a time.  


“Uh, yeah…” Sae watched, entranced, as Momo finished the last of the bottles in her hand, and then cough and gag.  


And just like that, Sae became the designated sober friend.  This was not Sae’s forte, nor was it a role she was widely known for. If Momo was set on making a fool of herself, though, Sae sure as hell wanted to be as conscious as physically possible.  


Momo discarded the bottles on the floor, trickles of leftover alcohol dampening the carpet, and rushed into the bathroom. “Are you done with the shower?”  


The shower turned on regardless of Sae’s answer, which was fine because Sae didn’t bother answering at all. She got up and nudged the tiny bottles into a little pile with her big toe.  


“What happened with Okayasu?” Sae asked loudly to talk over the sound of the shower, brazenly walking into the steam-filled bathroom.  


“I think he hates me now, which is good,” Momo answered. “It’s super great that he hates me now, and I love it, and I’m so excited to be at his god damn wedding.”  


“So, you’ve decided to cut your losses and go hammered?”  


“No, just tipsy. I’m saving hammered for the reception.”  


“No offense, Momo, but you don’t seem like the type that drinks a lot, and you took the equivalent of, like, five shots.”  


“‘You took the equivalent of, like, five shots,’” Momo mocked from the shower in a high-pitched valley girl voice.  


“Well, you bring up some good points…”  


Hoisting herself up onto the countertop, Sae crossed her legs and searched through the makeup she haphazardly threw aside before showering. She grabbed a bottle of a neutral-colored nail polish simply labeled “peach” and danced the brush across her fingernails.  


Harsh noise rolled with the push of the shower curtain and the abrupt stop of the shower a couple minutes later as Momo stepped out.  


“What the hell are you doing in here?” Momo asked half-heartedly as she grabbed a towel.  


“I’m getting ready,” Sae answered. “Some of us don’t want to go to the wedding as a complete mess.”  


With a huff, Momo stepped out the bathroom about as gracefully as a baby duck. Sae, whose fingernails only had a singular coat of polish on them, followed Momo.  


“So what’re you wearing?” she asked, skipping around Momo in circles. “Something showstopping? Let’s make some waves!”  


“My blue dress,” Momo said, opening her bag.  


“Seriously? That old thing? Your funeral.”  


Sae hopped onto her bed and opened her own bag. “Wanna see _my_ choice of dress?”  


Before Momo had the chance to answer, Sae whipped out a strikingly white dress, complete with halter neck and lace trim, that would easily reach her mid-calf. She held it against her body as a quick preview, twirling in place.  


“Wow, a white dress?” Momo said flatly. “Not predictable for you at all.”  


“Aw, don’t be so jealous,” Sae sang. “After all, I bought this for _your_ wedding.”  


\- - - - -  


As it turned out, Sae’s dress wasn’t the only thing originally meant for Momo’s wedding. They walked into the church, and Momo would point out decorations that she told Kairi about or earmarked in a bridal magazine. The soft pink flowers garnishing the pews, candles, their golden trim, and their setup on the altar and around the steps of the stage, the tiny lights and floral decorations hanging above the position where the bride and groom would make their vows. The venue looked nice; Momo had good taste in wedding decorations and… Flower color choice? Sae had no real concept of what went into planning or decorating a wedding.  


Without warning, Momo hooked her arm in Sae’s. Sae, startled, went to pull away before anyone noticed. She realized mid-motion that Momo was having trouble walking in heels while also being drunk. A desperate, slightly panicked look from Momo convinced Sae to let her be. As Momo leaned her weight against Sae’s shoulder to remain upright, Sae felt a strange sense of conceit more than anything else.  


“They shoulda paid you for planning their wedding,” Sae whispered to Momo, shooting a smug smile at someone staring at her (or, rather, what she assumed was her choice of dress).  


Momo gave a noncommittal sound of agreement.  


As they took their seats, Sae imagined a scenario where Misao and Kairi begin to plan their wedding when suddenly, Kairi pulls out a big wedding plan binder. At the bottom of the binder, “Momo” has been haphazardly crossed out in and replaced with “Kairi,” also written in red. Misao says something like, “Wow, Kairi, you’re so thorough! And you have impeccable taste to boot!” and Kairi replies haughtily with, “Thank you. I did this all myself.”  


Sae chuckled to herself and shook her head.  


“What?” Momo asked in the tone of a whisper but at a normal volume.  


“Huh?” Sae snapped out of her daydream, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. “Nothing. Shut up.”  


“Dude, like, all of Okayasu’s family is here…”  


It _was_ Kairi’s wedding, but Sae couldn’t help but make note of that as well. Their seats were positioned in one of the further back rows considering they were not only unrelated to anyone in the wedding, but also last-minute invites. Having the Okayasu Clan surrounding Sae on all sides didn’t make her feel particularly safe.  


On another note, though, Sae was really hung up on the fact Momo just called her “dude.” She snickered.  


“Momo, do you think you’re talking quietly? Because you’re just whispering very loudly.”  


“Nuh uh.”  


“Look, just”—Sae pulled out a notepad and pen from her purse—“if you think of something to say during the ceremony, instead of saying it, write it down and we can talk about it afterwards.”  


“Or!” Momo touched the tip of her finger to Sae’s nose. “We can pass notes back and forth!”  


“Nope.” Sae swatted Momo’s hand away. “Just write down what you want to say, and we’ll talk about it later.”  


With a pout, Momo took the pen and notepad and immediately began writing something down.  


Sae paused. Why was she trying to keep Momo from embarrassing herself? The only way she was going to get through the wedding without her soul leaving her body and going somewhere that didn’t make her want to pluck her eyelashes out one-by-one was if something crazy happened. You know, like Kairi’s ex yelling at his wedding like it was a concert. She knew Momo wouldn’t want to do that, though. Not really.  


But why did _she_ care? _The_ Sae Kashiwagi? _Care_ about someone else’s feelings? Go out of her way to stop someone from sabotaging themselves? Especially when that someone was _Momo_? They were friends, sure, but not _that_ kind of friends…  


A slap on her arm interrupted her crisis. Sae glared at Momo who, after getting her attention, opened her mouth before tightly shutting it and writing on the notepad. With an eyeroll, Sae tried to get her thought process back on track, but the shitty organ music got in the way. Looking to her left, she saw Misao walking down the aisle. Sae stared, sending mental waves to Misao to look at her. After coming to terms with the fact that Misao would not meet her gaze and have a moment of panic as she realized that Sae looked better in a white dress than she did, Sae completely checked out. She wondered if it’d be too obvious if she just scrolled through twitter the whole time.  


The ceremony didn’t last long; Sae stared straight ahead with a malcontented look on her face for the extent of it and imagined the ugly baby Misao and Kairi would have. It’d be bad, folks.  


The only exception was the vows; when they started Sae couldn’t help but watch Momo and gauge her reaction. Mostly, she expected Momo to cry. Momo just sat, though, eyes fixed on the two of them at the altar, completely straight-faced. The only indication of emotion was the way she tore at her nailbeds, unaware that she was even doing so. Not able to just sit idly by as the droplets of blood gathered at the corners of Momo’s cuticles, Sae pressed her hand onto Momo’s and looked back ahead. Momo’s fingers gave only a twitch of protest before they stopped moving for the most part after that, aside from slightly readjusting to the curvature of Sae’s hand. Warmth from Momo fingertips dotted Sae’s palms. She squeezed once, and Momo exhaled softly.  


“That’s my dress, you know,” Momo said whilst gesturing loudly as they walked out of the chapel, a bit steadier on her feet. The contrast between fresh air and the musty chapel almost gave Sae a migraine. “I mean, I had a couple dresses that I wanted to wear, but that’s definitely one of them.”  


“Hm,” Sae replied.  


“I mean, if she just wanted a white wedding that’d be a coincidence, but it’s _everything_! Like, it’s definitely on purpose! So why even _invite_ me? I just… I don’t get it! It’s literally like I’m being replaced! Like it didn’t even matter if it was me at the wedding to begin with! I just… I…”  


“Are you gonna cry? You look like you’re gonna cry.”  


“I’m not… I… Well, I didn’t cry during the ceremony…”  


They walked into the reception hall, the low lighting emphasizing the twinkling of string lights in the bouquets on every table. More of those flowers, more of that soft pink. Sae, trailing closely behind Momo, heard her inhale sharply as she made her way to the pop-up bar. She ordered two shots of vodka above the tapping of her fingernails on the counter.  


“Hey,” Sae said, touching a light hand on Momo’s arm. “If you don’t cry, I’ll give you a cool twenty thousand.”  


“Huh?” Momo looked at Sae inquisitively, and Sae retracted her hand.  


“Twenty thousand yen, baby! Just for not crying. You know, since you’re such a baby about this sort of stuff.”  


“Really?”  


“Really really.”  


Clicking her tongue, Momo rolled her eyes. “Don’t quote _Shrek_ at me,” she said before throwing back both shots at the same time. Sae, however, wasn’t familiar with _Shrek_ and had no clue what Momo was referring to.  


Suddenly, the hair on Sae’s arm stood up straight. She furrowed her brow, unsure of what caused such a reaction, and swung her head from side to side to shake the feeling off. Then she realized: it was a premonition.  


“Hey!” a voice called from behind her in a wearily cheerful tone. “I’m so glad you’re here!”  


Misao ran up and grabbed Momo’s hands in hers, a tired grin on her face. Momo smiled back, clearly wanting to be anywhere but where she was right then. Sae ordered herself a glass of water and made herself comfortable.  


“I’m _so_ glad to be here…” Momo replied, putting obvious effort into her pronunciation of words. “The wedding was _beautiful_ …”  


“Oh, thank you! Kairi’s got such an eye for design, you know? I gave my input, but he seemed really excited about it.”  


Sae chuckled into her cup of water as she sipped it. Once again, one of her patented daydreams had come true. Her chuckle garnered attention from Misao.  


“Hey, Kashiwagi…” Misao strained to greet her. “I… Like your dress.”  


“Me too,” Sae replied, making no effort to smile.  


“You know,” Misao continued, “it’s so refreshing that you two came together. I mean, I have friends from college—…”  


“Bet none of them came.”  


“—who are gay, but they usually don’t bring their partners around anywhere, so I don’t know! I’m just glad you felt comfortable enough to—.”  


A geyser of ice water sprayed out of Sae’s lips, silencing Misao immediately. Sae’s heart stopped, sputtered, and restarted like an old, shitty car. She turned, wide-eyed, towards Misao.  


“You have friends who are _what_?”  


“Uh, gay…?”  


“Oh, oh no no no no no. No, see, you deeply misunderstand the situation.”  


“No, it’s all right! It doesn’t bother me.”  


“I don’t give a shit what bothers you! This is not… Me and Momo…” She took a deep breath. “Look, Momo, tell this idiot that—.”  


Sae looked to her left to see an empty spot where Momo had stood only a minute before. Droplets of sweat started to form on Sae’s brow.  


“We’re not dating. We’re…”  


“Well, okay,” Misao said in a saccharine voice, probably not at all believing the raving and ranting of a crazed Sae. “It’s just nice to see you care for each other—all the little touches of reassurance you give her. You two are surprisingly good together. I wouldn’t have expected it, no offense. But I know this has been hard on Adachi… So, I’m glad you seem to make her stronger.”  


“I think it’s the alcohol that makes her stronger, actually,” Sae replied, the panic in her voice becoming harder and harder to hide. “Not me. I don’t touch her. I hate her! I’m… Ugh! God, just go back to your bastard husband, you virgin whore!”  


Sae started to shoo Misao away with her hands, the flapping slowly getting faster and more frantic as Misao didn’t budge.  


With a short sigh, more like a huff than anything, Misao turned to leave.  


“I still appreciate you coming, Kashiwagi,” she said. “And I also appreciate you not making a scene at the wedding.”  


God _dammit_ , Sae wished she had made a scene at the wedding.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was trying to find a lyric from a song from a shrek movie to put as the title that also applied to the chapter but i gave up on that dream. so we have a sae chapter itll sort of go back and forth idk im not going to change from third person but since it is limited perspective.. u knw


	3. Ladies, Let's Talk About Orgasms

Glasses of champagne already sat half-empty on tables where someone had gotten up and forgotten them. Momo, kind soul that she was, took it upon herself to finish off what others had left to turn flat after straying away from Sae and Misao. In no way could Momo take pride in drinking people’s leftover alcohol. She knew this. But it was much faster to inhale the drink someone set down while they went to the bathroom than go all the way back to the bar, especially because she was very visibly drunk at this point and would most likely be denied a drink.  


Her desire to stay drunk only heightened following the wedding ceremony. She couldn’t stop sweating, for one, especially on the insides of her thighs, and her nailbeds were now officially a mess. To make things worse, at times during the ceremony, she could swear that Kairi was looking at her—out of the corner of his eye, sometimes, and sometimes dead-on as if he were reading her thoughts. It made her feel so much more… Present. And that was the complete opposite of what she wanted to feel.  


Mostly full glass of what Momo assumed was a martini in hand, she spotted Kairi’s father not too far away. Drunkenness aside—or, rather, that’s probably what influenced this particular decision—Momo thought she’d check in on him. They _did_ have an established relationship, her being Kairi’s ex-fiancée and all, and she wanted to be polite.  


“Hi, Mister Okayasu…!” Momo greeted with a smile, taking each step carefully. “It’s been a while!”  


“It has,” Kairi’s dad replied. “You seem to be… Doing well…”  


“The wedding was great. How are things with you? You have a dog, right? Uh… Snickers? How’s Snickers?”  


He squinted in reply as if thinking, taking a minute to formulate a response. “I don’t have a dog…”  


“Huh…” Momo paused, pressing her index finger across her lips. “Who am I thinking of…?” Did Momo even know anyone with a dog? Maybe one of her neighbors…  


“I’m… Not sure…?”  


“Sorry, sorry, I was talking to myself!” She laughed, and then she realized she laughed a little too hard and it probably made her come across as either overeager or nervous. She changed the subject. “Any plans for the summer?”  


Before she had a moment to process what happened, Momo found herself being shoved in another direction with a faint “excuse us” from the blur of movement. Something about the blur smelled familiar and comforting, like the flowers you stop to smell before walking into the grocery.  


“Momo, we have a situation,” she heard Sae say in her ear.  


“What’s the situation?” Momo repeated, knowing she butchered the pronunciation of “situation.”  


“First things first,” Sae wrapped an arm around Momo’s shoulders, “who’s the DILF you were talking to back there?”  


Momo widened her eyes in horror. “Okayasu’s dad…?”  


“Gross. Oh well. I call ‘em like I see ‘em.”  


“Is the ‘situation’ that you want to get with _Okayasu’s Dad_?”  


“I’ve had my fill of that gene pool, thank you very much. No, no. This is much worse.”  


“You want to get with Ryo? It’s—.”  


“I _said_ I’ve had _enough_ of that _gene pool_!” Sae screeched through gritted teeth. Pausing, she inhaled deeply and exhaled. “I have to be the level-headed one because you’re drinking like a college freshman at her first party—and I speak from experience.”  


“You didn’t go to college.”  


“Sorry, I didn’t hear that over the stink eye every Okayasu in the building has been giving us since we got here. Because it turns out everyone thinks everyone came as more than friends.”  


“Ah,” Momo nodded knowingly, “as enemies.”  


“Wh—?” Sae blinked in confusion. “No? What?”  


“As… Cousins?”  


“Oh, my god, I feel like you’re purposefully misunderstanding me. People think we’re _fucking_ , Momo.”  


Momo gasped and covered her mouth with a hand. “But I’m so out of your league.”  


An angry laugh escaped Sae’s lips. “Now, hold on.”  


“I guess it makes sense, though. I brought you as a plus-one which is sort of reserved for significant others, isn’t it? Guess I just am so _un_ attracted to you that I just didn’t consider it.” Momo shrugged and laughed a raspy, already out of breath laugh and patted Sae’s back. “It’s funny, right?”  


Sae’s mouth twisted into a half-pout half-frown, almost as if she tried not to frown but didn’t know of an alternate position for her mouth to be in. She scowled at Momo and shook her hand off. “So, I’m not _good enough_ for you?”  


“Huh?” Momo looked at Sae, confused and realizing suddenly her fingertips were numb. “Why do you care?”  


“I don’t, okay? Let it go already. We’re ending this. We have to do some legwork to let everyone know we’re not in lesbians.”  


“That doesn’t sound right…”  


“Oh, what do _you_ know?”  


“Who cares, anyway? It’s not like we’re going to see these people again.”  


“That’s the complete _opposite_ of true! You talk about how much you want to stay friends with Okayasu _constantly_. And that’s probably why it seemed like he hated you earlier.”  


“Well… Maybe I don’t want to keep a relationship with someone who’s going to hate me for life choices that don’t affect them.”  


That’s what Momo wanted to say and convinced herself she said. But she really said was: “Okayasu can shove it. He’s just mad that he thinks I’m getting more puss than he is.”  


Sae tried to hold her laughter back for about a half second before cackling. “Wow, I don’t think you’ll think that when you’re sober, but good to know! More importantly, though, I just don’t want people to think that _I’m_ gay.”  


“What do you have against gay people?”  


“Nothing, I guess. But I’m not gay, and what if it affects my career or something when it’s not even true?”  


“Do you even know any gay people, Sae?”  


Sae rolled her eyes. “Do _you_?”  


“Besides us?” Momo, with a smile, pressed one hand to her face and held Sae’s hand in the other.  


“Ack!” Sae ripped her hand away and hopped backwards. “Quit!”  


“Why’re you embarrassed _now_? You were all _over_ me at the wedding.”  


“That…! That’s not…!” The edges of Sae’s mouth twitched. “I’m going to sit down!”  


“Wait for me!” Momo called after her, quickly stumbling forward and hugging her arm. She remained latched on despite Sae trying to shake her off.  


Their seats were across from and surrounded by Kairi’s coworkers who weren’t invited to the wedding. Ayame met Momo’s gaze and grimaced, looking away quickly as if Momo wouldn’t notice. She let go of Sae as they sat down.  


The already low music got quieter, and a thumping sound stretched over the venue from the speakers. Momo felt confused more than anything, looking to the people around her to clue her in. Everyone’s heads turned towards the stage, and it only took Momo about thirty seconds to follow in suit.  


“Hey, everyone,” Kairi’s voice boomed from the speakers. “Oh, damn that’s loud. Sorry. Uh… Anyway! Thanks for coming, and don’t forget to drop off your generous cash gifts before you leave.” He paused for a laugh from his guests, and a laugh came. Momo clicked her tongue and looked into her near-empty glass. “I’m really glad we can all celebrate what I can honestly say is the most important day of my life together! And feel free to come on up here and preform a song and dance, if you want!”  


Nudging Momo with her elbow to get her attention, Sae winked and wasted no time getting out of her seat and walking towards the stage. Kairi was still in the middle of saying something, a bashful, humble smile on his face while he rubbed the back of his neck as Sae joined him and took the forefront. The reflection of the string lights above her shining through the flowers made her hair look tinged with pink. A serious look appeared on her face, her soft features surrounded by a hazy glow, making her look… Like a fairy in a cheesy movie. So, cute.  


“I have an announcement!” Sae said into the microphone still in Kairi’s hand. She inched it out of his grasp and took it for her own. “As some of you may know, our bride today has married one Kairi Okayasu.” She gestured to Kairi, who watched her with a suspicious glare.  


“However, at the time of their reunion,” Sae continued, “Okayasu was already in the midst of another relationship. And here’s the kicker, folks: this isn’t the first time she’s done this! Hi, I’m Sae Kashiwagi, and I’m here to hold an intervention for Misao Aki’s serial homewrecking. Ten years ago—.”  


“That’s enough outta you,” Kairi said, picking Sae up by hooking his own arms around hers through her armpits. Sae kicked her feet in a futile attempt to escape, dropping the microphone on the floor followed by a loud disturbance from the speakers.  


Sae strapped across his chest, Kairi made his way to Momo’s table and dropped Sae near her.  


“I think you lost this,” he said, the humor missing from his voice.  


Opening her mouth to reply, Momo was cut off by Kairi’s quick exit from the area and return to the stage. She sighed and took a sip of Sae’s drink.  


“This is what I get for trying to be helpful,” Sae said with a huff, sitting beside Momo and shooting her a smirk.  


Momo leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. She moved her glass back and forth, the drink inside it spinning. Turning towards Sae, Momo stared at the glint of Sae’s earrings, the slight curl at the ends of her hair, the soft light on her high cheekbones. As if in a daze, Momo reached out and pushed a strand of hair behind Sae’s ear.  


Eyes wide, Sae jumped and nearly fell out of her chair.  


“You look good in that dress,” Momo said.  


“Can you _stop_?”  


“I’m complimenting you…”  


“So, you’re, like, carpet munchers full-time now?” Ayame asked from across the table.  


Ayame had one of those faces that made Momo not believe in God. Not because she was ugly—she was very attractive, the mole by her bottom lip was cute, she had that fashionable sense of style that younger women seem to naturally have—just that her shitty attitude showed on her face and made Momo think, “well, maybe there _isn’t_ a God.”  


“Ah, then you’re a cunt full-time now?” Sae asked in reply.  


“I was just asking a question.”  


“Hey, cum rag,” Momo called, “can you shut the hell up? Just because Okayasu would rather sleep with Misao than you doesn’t mean you have to bitch at everyone else.”  


“Woo! Teamwork, baby!” Sae playfully punched Momo’s arm.  


“Teamwork!” Momo repeated, intertwining her fingers with Sae’s (who tried to break free immediately).  “We should make a soccer team! But one made of two people.”  


“What?” Sae pulled her arm away.  


“Or! Parenting! That’s teamwork with two people!”  


“I’m not talking about this anymore.”  


“But I have so much to say!” Momo cried, slapping Sae’s arm repeatedly. “Come _on_!”  


“There’s a microphone right there!” Sae pointed to the stage. “Bother someone else!”  


 Momo followed the direction of Sae’s pointed finger and thought for a moment. She _did_ have a lot to say to Kairi in particular… And this was the most streamlined way of getting the message to him. Without a second thought, she stood up, steadied herself by leaning a hand on her chair, and carefully trekked up to the front of the venue. Holding her arms out horizontally to maintain her balance, step by step, she finally reached the top of the stairs. Her footsteps echoed across the thin floorboards of the stage. She grabbed the microphone.  


“Hey, everyone…!” Momo said into the mic held just a bit too close to her mouth, her voice unsure and echoing through the speakers. “I’m, um, Momo Adachi. I’m sure a lot of you know me as the ex-fiancée. I, uh, gotta say, I’m _real_ happy for Okayasu. I am! It’s weird, though. Just a little. Not because I’m Okayasu’s ex. It’s just because I, like, planned the wedding? Back when we were together, I mean. It looks good! It’s just the decorations I picked out and the dress I wanted but that’s… Fine…” She cleared her throat. “And I’m happy for Misao, too! I mean, one day she’s the school nurse, and the next, she’s Okayasu’s wife! I mean, Okayasu only wished I were you for about the entirety of our relationship, so getting married’s a damn good resolution!”  


A little laughter came from the floor below. Momo laughed a bit, too, more confidence than she should have had as a drunk ex with a microphone rushing into her.  


“Well, here’s a question for the happy couple: have y’all slept together yet? Sorry, I just… I know Misao is a virgin— _was_ a virgin? —Sorry, sorry. It’s just that, like, Okayasu’s the only person _I’ve_ ever had sex with, and I didn’t know what an orgasm was until I set the clothes dryer on high and sat on top of it. So, I was just, like, wondering so I could warn you, Misao? Or give some construction to Okayasu. No, uh, constructive criticism, I mean. And, Misao, if you ever get tired of Okayasu ignoring your very obvious emotional and/or physical needs, give me a shout! ‘Cause I don’t know if y’all’ve heard, but apparently… I’m gay now!”  


Momo swore she heard more laughter aside from her own, and whether she did or not, she had built up so much momentum that even if they crowd were quiet, she’d keep going.  


At the very least, _one_ person was laughing. “Talk about Okayasu’s penis!” Momo heard Sae yell from the audience.  


“Sure! So, Okayasu’s dick,” Momo started.  


“Haha, alright!” Kairi walked onto the stage and began to usher Momo off, grasping the top of the microphone still in her hand.  


“Hey, hey, hey! I’m not done!”  


“Yeah, you are. Let’s get you some water. And a bed.”  


   


\- - - - -  


   


“And that’s what my YouTube channel would be,” Momo said, unsure what exactly started the train of thought but looking up at Kairi for validation.  


“How would you get the animals, though?” Kairi asked with a smile.  


“What animals?”  


All Kairi answered with was a laugh, unconsciously pulling her closer. Momo laughed too.  


Comforting warmth from Kairi’s arm wrapped around Momo’s upper body. She hugged his waist as they walked, desperately trying to keep up with him, desperately not wanting to lose him.  


“I’m _so_ tired,” Momo heard herself whine.  


“Yeah, I bet,” Kairi replied with a half-chuckle. “Went a little too hard tonight, huh?’  


“We should just… Skip it, ya know?” She smiled and leaned further into him, grabbing the loose fabric of his shirt. “Say ‘fuck it,’ go home, take a bath…”  


“Mo…” Kairi slowed his pace. “Come on…”  


“Hm?” She looked up at him, his face feeling kinder in the low lighting and Momo’s blurry, drunken vision than it had in the longest time, even with the look of pity he gave her.  


“It’s my wedding. I’m… I’m not going home with you.”  


“Aw… Aw, nuts! I guess I, uh… Forgot for a second…” Momo laughed, a sharp pain hitting her chest. She stumbled forwards, trying to remove herself from Kairi.  


Kairi caught her, hugging her against his body. “Jeez…  Let’s get you to bed, Bambi.”  


He never called her pet names while they were dating except for “babe.” Momo wondered if he called Misao pet names, if he picked the habit up from her. She hated that she missed him. She hated that she was still jealous.  


Her hotel room felt chilly as they walked in. Realizing her shoes were still on, Momo bent down to try and remove them, stumbled, and almost fell over until Kairi caught her once again. He led Momo to the bed, and she lowered herself onto the edge of it and kicked her shoes off, both hitting the wall in front of her.  


“Nice,” Kairi said, pulling a water bottle from out of the mini fridge. He handed it to Momo, his fingertips lingering just briefly. “Get some water in you.”  


“Mn,” Momo sipped the water, the room turning around her like a carousel. Kairi sat next to her on the bed, momentarily making her lose her balance. She fell onto him and sat up.  


“I liked your speech,” he said with a laugh. “I didn’t think I’d really have to worry about you doing something crazy, so I didn’t watch the whole time like I did with Sae. But…”  


“How’s it feel that I’m the most memorable thing about your wedding?” Momo asked, looking directly ahead not expecting an answer.  


Kairi sighed. “I thought you were more mature than this, Momo.”  


“Why did you make me come to your dumb wedding? Why’d you even have to tell me you were getting married?”  


“It wasn’t my idea. But I thought you’d be happy for me…”  


“Of _course_ I’m not happy! I loved you! I _still_ love you! I… God, just, fuck you…”  


“That’s _why_ I thought you’d be happy for me. I loved you, too, you know. I—.”  


“Don’t.”  


“—still love you.”  


“Well, you’re married now, so.”  


“It’s not that I don’t love you. I said that already. I just love Misao more, I guess…”  


“What are we? In _high school_? I don’t want to hear this! Why do you… Incite on pulling me back into this drama?”  


“C’mon, Mo. You love drama.”  


“No,” Momo said, resting her head on the slope between Kairi’s neck and his shoulder. As she exhaled, he kissed her forehead, her temple, her cheek. Momo could feel what was coming next. She turned her head and let Kairi grab her arms and kiss her. Deeper and deeper, she fell back onto the bed, Kairi’s lips soft and warm against her own, his body heat over her making her uncomfortably warm. His hands disappeared from her body briefly, returning to caress her back and fiddle with the zipper of her dress.  


The door flew open, light rushing from the hallway into the dark hotel room. Kairi turned his head towards it, the sound of his hands shifting on the sheets startling Momo just slightly.  


“Heya, Momo!” Sae yelled, one arm hooked around Ayame’s waist and a bottle of champagne in her other hand. “Hope you don’t…”  


Sae’s voice trailed off as her eyes met Kairi’s. Momo tried to sit herself up by leaning on her arms, trying to see either of their expressions that remained obscured by the dark, made even harder to see in contrast to the backlight. Without another word, another sound, Kairi stood up and rushed out the room, pushing past Sae and buttoning his shirt on his way out.  


Sitting up more, overwhelming heat covered Momo’s face, most of it situated below her eyes and chasing tears out of them. The horrible heat consumed the rest of her body. She started shaking, she lowered her head into her hands.  


Strong, soft hands grasped Momo’s shoulders.  


“Did he hurt you?” Sae asked, her voice low. “What happened?”  


“I… I…” Momo tried to get the words out but choked on her quiet sobs.  


“I’m fully prepared to kill him. I don’t give a shit.”  


“I just… I miss him so much…! I hate that I… I…”  


With a sigh, Sae climbed onto the bed, sat on her knees, and pulled Momo into a hug.  


“It’s not fair…” Momo squeaked, crying into Sae’s shoulder and clinging onto her dress.  


“I know,” Sae replied, stroking Momo’s hair in comforting rhythm. “I know…”  


“And now… I don’t…” Momo’s sobs pushed out harder. “I don’t even get the twenty thousand yen…!”  


Sae leaned her head against Momo’s. “If it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t planning on giving it to you anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok i only vaguely know where the storys going from here so updates might be a little more spread out than they have been. now this is unfortuante for me bc as someone going thru a particularly nasty depressive episode (tmi, sorry) writing this fic is the only thing keeping me grounded especially while i cant use my tablet so :grimace: :grimace: :grimace:  
> if all else fails ill just finish the oneshot fic ive had on the backburner for ages so whatever iguess. oik bye


	4. Uh Oh! Whoops! Oh No! Whoops!

Noises from the bathroom greeted Sae as she came out of a dreamless sleep. She opened her eyes, vision still fuzzy, breath still slow and deep. A weight rested heavily on her chest; one she couldn’t seem to shake. She looked to her right slowly, her hair rough against the pillow and stuck to her cheek, to see Momo’s sleeping face nuzzled against her neck. Her whole body rested mostly on top of Sae’s in order to stay securely on the twin bed.  


The worst thing was that Sae… Didn’t hate it. Far from it, even. She struggled to remember the last time she slept so soundly through the night without some sort of sleeping aid, the last time she felt so profoundly at peace sharing a bed with another person. Guilt erupted in the pit of her stomach at the realization, but she decided to make concessions with herself. She pretended that she hadn’t opened her eyes and didn’t realize Momo was with her. In fact, Sae pretended like she hadn’t woken up at all.  


This blissful, pretend-sleep ended shortly after it started as Momo began to stir, repositioning herself and borrowing her face deeper against Sae to keep out the light. Feigning sleep couldn’t keep the nausea of anxiety at bay any longer, not after becoming keenly aware of Momo’s breath on her skin, of the brush of her top lip against her neck.  


Stomach clenching and twitching, tighter and tighter, Sae felt like she would vomit.  


Sae sat up and stretched, hearing the sheets rustle under Momo as she slid into the place Sae had previously lied.  


“You up?” Sae asked, not looking at Momo. “You slept like a damn brick. Felt like a whole pile of ‘em sleeping on me all night.”  


Momo grunted in response. Sae turned to see her face-down on the pillow, and she tapped Momo’s head with the side of her hand.  


“Wakey, wakey,” Sae said half-heartedly.  


“Tired.” The pillow muffled Momo’s groan.  


“C’mon, sunshine. I wanna get home so you can pay me back for the dress you ruined.”  


Eye still half shut, trying to adjust to the light, Momo turned her head only far enough so that she could look back at Sae.  


“What?” she stated more than asked.  


“Well, I get that it’s my fault for wearing a white dress, but I’ve got your whole face of makeup on it after your episode.” Sae gestured to the dress she still had on from last night.  


Momo stopped trying to keep her eyes open and furrowed her brow.  


“Huh?”  


Realizing there was no point in having a conversation just yet, Sae changed the subject. “How’re you feeling?”  


“Bad.”  


“Bad, eh? And what are your symptoms?”  


“Barf-y.”  


“Ah,” Sae said with a nod. “My professional diagnosis is: you have three weeks to live.”  


Momo sat up and slapped Sae’s arm. A change of expression blanketed Momo’s face—from disgruntled to embarrassed—as she examined the state of Sae’s dress.  


“That really _does_ looks like a face…” Momo sharply examined.  


“I know,” Sae replied. “And on my chest, no less. Imagine what the neighbors would say…”  


“Was I crying? My face still feels puffy…”  


“Do… You not remember?”  


The look on Momo’s face told Sae pushing any farther would just rile Momo up. Sae, though, wasn’t known to shy away from such an action.  


“It just gets fuzzy after a while, is all,” Momo replied after a moment of pouting.  


“What’s the last thing you remember?”  


Hunched over, Momo covered her eyes with her hands whilst she attempted to tap into her memory. She then proceeded to move her hands around in circles, stretching the skin on her face around with them.  


“I remember when you went up and said some crazy shit to the whole venue…” Momo finally said.  


Oh, how Sae looked forward to showing Momo the one-woman show she put on in front of everyone. She was almost giddy at the thought of it. To the point, apparently, that Sae suddenly discovered a dumb grin on her face. Glancing at Momo, she hoped she didn’t notice.  


“Speaking of that…” Momo said, her voice still scratchy with sleep. “I had a weird dream. My dreams are pretty normal most of the time, like, just, realistic stuff. But this one was _crazy_. It was still realistic, I guess, but… Whatever. Okay, so. I’m on a stage—I think it was because I saw you give that speech—and I’m just saying all this… Crazy stuff. _Crazy_ stuff—.”  


“Like how you sat on top of a dryer?”  


“Like…” Momo repeated, as if considering what Sae said before glaring at her. “Huh?”  


Sae grabbed her phone from the bedside table, taking a brief moment to thank whatever cosmic entity that made her life a living hell for that one, sweet moment. Unlocking her phone with one, swift movement as if possessed by a minor god, Sae pulled up the video of Momo’s speech she took.  


“The cinematography isn’t perfect,” Sae bragged, relishing in the slow transition of Momo’s expression into pure horror, “but it should do.”  


Momo shut off the phone right as she asked if Misao was a virgin. Sae’s phone hit the hotel carpet with a thump after Momo tossed it aside unceremoniously and hid under the comforter. A guffaw escaped Sae’s lips, though she admittedly didn’t try too hard to keep it hidden.  


“’Mornin’, Momo!” Ayame greeted as she left the bathroom, the smuggest of looks on her face. “Crazy night, huh?”  


After a short pause, Momo sat up, the comforter falling off of her, scowled, and looked at Sae, motioning towards their visitor. “What’s this one doing here?”  


“Well!” Sae started, mind racing at the speed of light. “You see, I’m a nice person! And Ayame here missed her train home! So, I let her stay in our room for the night!”  


Ayame snickered. “That’s actually—.” Sae cut her off.  


“Haha! Hey, Ayame! Can I speak to you privately?”  


Not risking a reply, Sae grabbed Ayame by the arm and yanked her outside the hotel room and shut the door behind them.  


“You can’t tell Momo why you really spent the night,” Sae said.  


“Good morning to you, too,” Ayame answered, arms crossed and still smug as ever.  


“I’m… Look, I’m begging here.”  


“This doesn’t look much like begging.”  


“It’s as close to begging as I’ll get! Just, please. Do me this _one_ favor.”  


“Why should I? I mean, one: it doesn’t matter, two: your lie sucked, and I’m sure she used her context clues to realize why you bring someone back to your hotel room after a wedding anyway.”  


“It was a _moment_ of weakness! A singular moment!”  


“You had your tongue down my throat for like fifteen minutes in the bathroom of the reception venue.”  


“A _couple_ moments of weakness, then! Just…”  


A look of recognition sparked across Ayame’s face. “Oh! I get it! You like her!”  


Sae scoffed and pushed a portion of her hair behind her ear. “No way! Ick! That’s so gross! I hate her!”  


“Ah. So you’re in love with her, then.”  


“Ugh! No! I just think that it’s humiliating that I got drunk and made out with you.”  


“Yeah, you were _very_ sober.”  


“Can you…” Sae dragged her hands down her face. “Can you just humor me out of pity?”  


“Aw… No.”  


With a pinch on her nose bridge, Sae sighed in exasperation.  


“But,” Ayame continued, “I can keep my mouth shut if you pay for my train ticket home since you made me miss my train last night over false promises.”  


“Seriously? We’re doing this? Blackmailing is _my_ thing, ma’am.”  


With pursed lips and raised eyebrows, Ayame gave one scoff and turn towards the door of the hotel room.  


“Oh, Momo!” she called.  


Sae shushed Ayame frantically. “Why can’t you go blackmail Okayasu instead? You literally saw him sucking on Momo’s face like a vacuum.”  


“Ugh, because then I’d have go out of my way to find him, and he’s my boss, and it’d be so awkward at work after that… Plus, I already kinda sorta blackmailed him with you that one time, and I don’t know if he’s entirely let me off the hook for that.”  


“God, fine, whatever.”  


A humble wad of cash sat hidden in Sae’s bra, which she unfortunately still had on from last night. In reaching around in her breasts, she suddenly could feel the straps constricting her. With a puff, Sae tossed the tiny wad at Ayame who caught it as if anticipating it from the get-go.  


“It’s like you’re my sugar daddy!” Ayame sang, one leg shooting up behind her mockingly.  


“How little self-respect do you have?” Sae asked, her annoyance reaching its limit.  


“Enough to not fall in love with a straight girl.” Ayame thumbed through the cash. “That’s more than you can say, at least.”  


Before Sae could reply, heat rising to her face and tinging the tips of her ears—whether from anger or embarrassment, or maybe some combination of both—Ayame turned and walked away, shooting one last wink at Sae as she left.  


Pathetic. That’s what Sae felt—what Sae _was._ Even then, hours after it happened, the phantom of a touch caressed Sae’s cheek. She thought back to the split second the night before where Momo brushed a stray hair behind Sae’s ear, to the slight smile on Momo’s face, the lilt of her voice as she complimented her.  


“You look good in that dress.”  


Her old friend nausea decided to come back and say hello, making the situation that much more pleasant. Sae shook her head and took a deep breath, directing it with hand movements, and she walked back into the hotel room.  


An empty space sprawled out on Momo’s twin bed. Eyeing the space to assess the scenario, the sound of rushing water caught Sae’s attention. She stepped tentatively into the bathroom, the noise becoming louder upon seeing Momo bent over the sink. She supported herself with her elbows, one hand on her forehead to push back her bangs. Droplets of water sprinkled against her face, glittering in the fluorescent light.  


“Did you get sick?” Sae questioned—far too much concern coloring her voice unintentionally—as she took a step towards Momo.  


“Was Okayasu my one chance at happiness?” Momo asked, looking up into the mirror as if directed at her own reflection. “Or am I just… Fundamentally unlovable? I mean, if after _ten years_ … Okayasu leaves because he’s just… Bored of me… Will everyone else just do the same?”  


“Oh, come on,” Sae sneered, leaning against the counter. “You don’t have to be married or in a relationship to be happy. Plenty of people our age—most people our age, even—aren’t even _thinking_ about marriage much less seeking it out. Not being married and not having any prospects or marriage doesn’t mean you’re ‘unlovable.’ And even if you _were_ —which you’re not—so what? I’ve given up on that load of crap since Toji dumped my ass down the drain, and I’m doing great.”  


Momo didn’t seem very convinced. In fact, the frown on her face deepened.  


“That was only a couple months ago,” Momo said in a low voice.  


“God, really?” Sae scratched her chin. “Well, before that I’d given up on the love bullshit anyway. It’s just that you getting married was just the fork in the electrical socket, I guess. But are you really _that_ dumb, Momo? _Everyone_ falls in love with you the moment they meet you, and once they get to know you? No goin’ back.”  


“But maybe there’s a point of knowing me too much that just makes people lose interest.”  


“If it means anything, _I_ haven’t hit that point yet, and I’ve known you longer than Okaya-stupid.”  


As the words left her mouth, Sae replayed the sentence back in her head and realized it definitely sounded like a confession—which it wasn’t! Her two options were to continue talking and possibly dig herself deeper into the confession hole or to just stay quiet and wait for Momo to realize the connotations of what Sae said. And, to reiterate, Sae did not mean to put those connotations in what she said, they just happened to be there and were not true whatsoever.  


“How can I be happy?” Momo asked.  


“I…” Sae swallowed her panic and sighed. “I don’t know that one.”  


Momo stared into the sink, tears rimming her eyes. Sae couldn’t bear to watch it any longer. She rested a hand on the small of Momo’s back, inching herself closer so that their shoulders touched. Stretching her free arm past Momo, she turned the running water off.  


“It’ll be all right, though,” Sae continued. “I know it will. I don’t trust the universe for shit, and I think that ultimately you have to make the change you want to see, but… Something good’s coming to you. I know it. And if the universe doesn’t deliver, then… I will.”  


A teary smile on Momo’s face as she turned towards her knocked the wind out of Sae. Sae looked away.  


“I didn’t mean for that to come out so cheesy,” she mumbled.  


“It was sweet,” Momo replied. “Thank you… You’re so selfless sometimes, you know? Not all the time, not most of the time, even. But… You didn’t have to come with me. You didn’t have to help me like this. I… You really care with your whole being, and that’s just… A really good quality that I know someone’s gonna fall in love with some day.”  


Sae felt like she was going to just explode right then and there. Her heart pounded in her chest, in hear ears, throughout her bloodstream. She turned towards Momo who gave her another, drier, gentler smile. Sae repositioned her fingers around Momo’s waist, pulling Momo towards her, and hovered her other hand over the same place on the opposite side. A hand from Momo resting on Sae’s elbow told her all she needed to know. Gingerly, she leaned in and closed her eyes…  


“Um… Sae…” Momo said, leaning backwards. “I, uh…”  


Sae’s eyes snapped wide open, looking blankly ahead before focusing on Momo, and she stretched a tight-lipped smile across her face. “Hm?”  


“I don’t know what vibe you were getting, but…”  


Sae let go of Momo—really just softly pushed her away—and sprinted out of the bathroom, out of the hotel room, and down the hallway, realizing minutes later she forgot her shoes inside but did not dare turn back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been a bit but ive already started the chapter after this so it shouldnt be as long before i finsih tht one. ummmmm i think only like 3 chapters left but w'ell see


	5. Momo's Fucking PISSED

Momo just hadn’t seen it coming. She was aware of gay people, sure, but they mostly existed in her periphery, popping up ever so often on the news or holding hands in public. She hadn’t thought much about them—being gay in general—honestly. Not really. Often, she’d catch herself staring, the world around her put on mute, then turn away guiltily marveling at them, sure, but no real thinking about it.  


The thought of being gay or liking girls never even occurred to Momo; not until last night, and any thought about that was met with drunken exasperation more than any sort of consideration. So, when Sae touched the small of her back and a balloon expanded in her chest cavity, a balloon that she’d like to cherish for as long as she could, it surprised her. It surprised her that a simple touch could change everything.  


Momo turned on the faucet and splashed water in her face. The water, much colder than expected, caught her off guard. She wiped her face off with a towel, looking at her half-covered visage in the mirror.  


More than anything, she just didn’t expect Sae to make a move. She couldn’t stop replaying it in her head—she wasn’t mad or annoyed just… Surprised. Momo felt bad for rejecting her like that, but she knew it wouldn’t be honest of her to let something happen. She didn’t have feelings for Sae—not feelings like that anyway—or really any woman. She wasn’t repulsed by the idea of kissing a girl, though, or even kissing Sae. It was a weird thought, but not repulsive. And, on second thought, not even that weird considering the treatment they got last night.  


So, what was it, then? Disingenuous—at least on her end. Momo had never considered other women as romantic prospects before. She couldn’t even think of any moments where the idea of kissing another girl crossed her mind.  


Momo thought some more. She buried her face into the rough hotel towel.  


Maybe there are one or two moments where Momo thought for a split second of maybe hugging a girl as more than a friendly gesture—or something like that—but nothing more. Not really. Just a couple memories where something another girl said or did let loose a million butterflies in her stomach.  


Maybe she should’ve kissed Sae…?  


With a deep breath, Momo threw the towel down and shook her head, trying to get rid of the thoughts playing a whack-a-mole on her heart. She had to go find Sae’s dumb ass since they had to check out soon, and Sae was the one in possession of the finances for the trip. A bag in each hand—one hers, one Sae’s—Momo walked out of the hotel room and down the hall.  


Back in high school, when Kako lent Momo her swimsuit after Momo’s had gotten ruined, and she felt something then? It wasn’t long afterwards that Kairi busted into the girls’ locker room and hugged Momo when she was half-naked, so that was always at the forefront of her mind when thinking back to that day. But was there something else besides being flustered over Kairi’s advances?  


What about when Sae started coming back to school after she and Ryo had broken up and she had been in the hospital? When she told Momo that despite getting hurt, she didn’t regret any of it, that she learned a lot and was ready to move forward? When she smiled after saying that—that smile that for the first time had no indication that Sae was putting up a front or anything; just a genuine, happy smile, one that Momo had scarcely seen afterwards. What about then?  


Lost in thought, Momo almost bumped directly into Misao if she had just taken a couple steps further. Luckily for her, Misao was engrossed in her phone and didn’t seem to take any notice of Momo. The last thing she wanted to do was have to face Misao after her embarrassing stunt the night before.  


Misao’s head started to move. Bags and all, Momo shot around the corner and hid behind a cluster of potted plants, accidentally kicking something in the process.  


Looking down to see what it was, Momo found Sae crouched against the wall and the pot of the plant. Sae’s red, puffy eyes glanced up at Momo briefly before looking away.  


“Hey, there,” Momo said, resting the bags on the ground and crouching down.  


Sae didn’t reply.  


“So, uh…” Momo brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “About earlier…”  


“Just… Just don’t,” Sae replied, shrinking down.  


“No, see, I was thinking about it, and—.”  


Sae cut Momo off. “Just leave me alone!”  


Maybe it was the hangover, maybe it was just because it was Sae, but Momo’s patience quickly started running thin. She stood up.  


“I don’t see why _you’re_ so upset when _you’re_ the one who—.”  


“Why are you obsessed with rubbing this shit in my face?” Sae shouted and stood up in reply, refusing to let Momo finish getting out a single thought. “I get it! I get it, okay?”  


“What’s your deal?”  


“What’s my deal? You make me sick: _that’s_ my deal! I feel sick to my stomach when I’m around you!”  


“Oh, my _god_ ,” Momo laughed in disbelief. “Can’t you just communicate like a normal god damn person? Why do you have to just start digging yourself deeper in every single hole you make?”  


“Hey! At least that hole isn’t making out with my literally-just-married ex!”  


Momo took a second to try and unpack that statement. “What the hell are you talking about?” She asked.  


“Oh, you and Okayasu made out when you blacked out last night,” Sae explained. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but… Whoops!”  


The oxygen in the room suddenly thinned, and bile crawled its way into Momo’s throat. Her lips cracked as she moved them to speak, words half forming and tumbling out her mouth like half formed bubbles. She took a step backwards.  


“I don’t…” Momo finally managed to say. “I don’t remember doing…”  


“Duh,” Sae replied, a callous eye roll matching her tone. “You blacked out.”  


“What did you do, Sae?”  


Sae’s self-assured aura dissipated and she took a step towards Momo. “What do you mean, what did _I_ do? _I_ didn’t do anything!”  


“You didn’t…” Momo took another step backwards. “You didn’t stop me from drinking so much… And I… It’s not like I remember if you set it up with Okayasu, or…”  


“Wait, Momo…”  


“Is… Is that why you came? To… To fuck with me? I mean, of _course_ that’s why! I… God, I’m so… So… Ugh, god…!”  


“No, I… I wouldn’t do that, Momo…”  


Hand outstretched, Sae took one more step forward. Momo stumbled back farther.  


“You have, though! You have done shit like this before! You, you…”  


Sae froze. A sad or even apologetic look came upon her face that Momo felt best not to dwell on. No one spoke. Sae didn’t even bother to defend herself.  


If something happened between Momo and Kairi… As much as she felt dirty—the itchy, unbearable kind of dirty—thinking about it… Momo had to come clean to Misao; she had to warn her. More importantly, she had to get away.  


Heavy, emotionally charged footsteps hit the floor as Momo left Sae to her own devices and sought out Misao. Blood pounded in her ears; her head throbbed with pain.  


It wasn’t hard to find Misao. She still stood near the front desk, checking her phone intermittently. Maybe she was waiting for someone. Maybe Kairi.  


The dread and bile in Momo’s throat mixed together—it didn’t help she was still hung over. She swallowed it and walked quickly towards Misao.  


“Misao, I—.”  


“Oh, hi, Adachi!” Misao greeted with a polite smile. “Hope you’re not too tired this morning.”  


Rationally, Momo knew Misao didn’t mean that comment as malicious, but it sat in her already uneasy stomach like a rock. Her eyebrow twitched slightly, but she pushed her annoyance aside.  


“I’m, I’m fine. I just,” Momo stopped and started again despite the unease crawling under her skin. “I’m really sorry for making a scene at your reception.”  


Misao let out a bark of laugher. “Don’t worry about it! You were really funny. Honestly! And not even in an embarrassing way—well. Mostly not in an embarrassing way.”  


“I’m… Glad you feel that way.”  


Relief didn’t overcome Momo at Misao’s acceptance, not like Momo thought it would. If anything, it made her feel worse.  


“ _I’m_ the one that really needs to apologize,” Misao continued. “I’m sorry for assuming things about you... And Kashiwagi.”  


“That’s…” Momo chewed at the inside of her lip and sighed. “Fine. I still…”  


“What’s up?”  


“I… I _apparently_ …” Those first words were agonizing to get out, but once she did, Momo couldn’t stop talking. “Look, something happened between me and Okayasu last night, and I don’t remember it at all, but I still feel terrible about it, and I know it was your wedding night, and I feel like maybe him and Sae set it up somehow, so I wanted to…” Momo caught her breath. “To warn you, I guess.”  


All she got from Misao was a blank expression. Momo started again.  


“It’s so horrible. I mean, I trusted Sae—Okayasu to a lesser extent, but… You literally just got married, and I’m not trying to… To absolve myself of guilt or responsibility, or, or… But Okayasu’s also… So… I don’t know! I just—…”  


“Adachi,” Misao’s voice cut Momo off. “It’s…” She looked as if saying the words was painful. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it, okay?”  


“But Okayasu…”  


“Look, I… He’s not that clever, you know. It’s easy to tell when he’s hiding something, and he doesn’t even try to not flirt with other women. I’m sure you know that. And sometimes, it just… Goes farther than that.”  


“I just thought if he was marrying you, that he’d… Change.”  


“Well… He _did_ marry me, so I figure that even if sometimes he… Messes up, or—…” Misao’s voice shook. She cleared her throat. “In the end, he still loves me the most, right? We have to make sacrifices to be happy, I think.”  


“Are you happy?” Momo asked, unconvinced.  


“I’m… I’m getting there, I guess. I’m just… Glad he chose me.”  


Then it hit Momo like a slap to the face. Misao stood in front of her, doing this fake-humble routine to brag about how she has Kairi now when Momo had too much self-respect to let him treat her like dirt. Blood filled her mouth as her teeth clamped down on the spot of her cheek that she kept chewing.  


“ _Chose_ you?” Momo repeated.  


Misao looked startled at Momo. “No, I didn’t mean…”  


“Don’t you think you were a little less than passive by making yourself at home in his life while you knew he was engaged _and_ had feelings for you as a teenager?”  


“Well—.”  


“In fact, you sort of jumped on the Okayasu train full throttle, didn't you? But only _after_ Toji rejected you! Isn’t it a _little_ weird that the only people you seem interested in are people that still view you as a teacher? And let’s not forget! You _also_ dated Okayasu’s bum brother! Is the only reason you didn’t date Okayasu _himself_ back in the day because he was too young? And didn’t you say he was like a brother to you? What happened to _that_ , Misao?”  


Silence.  


“I looked up to you! Even... Even when you just showed up out of the blue at Okayasu’s work! You sacrificed your own happiness for the best of your family, and I thought that was really brave. But you know what? You’re not brave. You’re a coward, and you’re lazy. Toji and Okayasu were the easiest people for you to go after, and once Toji rejected you, you just latched on to Okayasu because you knew you still had hold over him and you knew he would leave me for you in a second.”  


Tremors ran throughout Momo’s body—from anger, from self-pity. Misao wouldn’t meet her eyes; she stared at the floor and rubbed her arm, looking like a lost child. From anger about _Misao’s_ self-pity.  


“Good to know Okayasu’s still just a cheater and you… Have nothing to worry about, I guess?” Momo concluded. “You two deserve each other.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i rly think its only gona be 2 chapters left after this i got the next one mostly planned out. do i know how momo and sae will get together @ the end? well i cant answer that without a lawyer present


	6. Bridge Upkeep: A How-To Guide

Momo hated Sae again, and Sae hadn’t even intended it this time.  


Usually, if Momo started hating her, she wanted Momo to start hating her; because Momo lied to her, because Momo didn’t prioritize her, because she was apologizing and knew Momo would have to hate her for a little bit, because Momo cared about her and it struck Sae with the most profound fear she had ever felt in her life.  


Sae knew it was probably for the best. Frankly, she waited for months for Momo to wake up one day and think, “What the hell am I doing? I’m living with _Sae_ of all people! I can do better than this! I _am_ better than this!” She almost judged Momo for waiting this long.  


It still sucked, though.  


That wasn’t how things were going to fly, not under Sae’s watch. There was no way she would take Momo hating and abandoning her again lying down. If Momo wanted to hate her so badly, Sae would make sure that Momo wouldn’t come crying back to her later. Even if Momo wouldn’t come back regardless, Sae would rest easy knowing she did the most to make sure that she burned that bridge—and she took pride in her bridge-burning skills.  


Wheels turned in Sae’s head, planning already under way. Taking a few steps forward, she noticed Kairi in the periphery of her vision.  


Sae had the match, and Kairi seemed like pretty good tinder. She walked up quietly, almost sneaking so as to not scare him, and leaned against the wall. She cocked her head just slightly to expose her good side—or, rather, her better side—, feeling her hair press against the wall and shift under her.  


“Hey, slugger,” Sae cooed. She cringed as the bitter-tasting word slid off her tongue like molasses.  


How long had it been since she had flirted with a man? The fact she even had to think about it meant it had been too long. The sheer volume of men in her early twenties should have set her for life, though; why was she so out of practice?  


Kairi inhaled sharply whilst taking a sip of the drink in his hand. He sputtered and coughed, saving himself from choking.  


“What…?” He asked, wide-eyed and wiping his mouth.  


Sae cleared her throat and pushed onward. “Where’s the missus?”  


“Checking us out of our hotel room… Do you, uh, want something?”  


“I want a lot of things.”  


“Mhm… Okay...”  


“How about I keep you some company for a minute?”  


Sae walked her fingers on the wall towards Kairi, barely touching his arm with her fingertips before he pulled away.  


“I’m married,” he said, monotone.  


It didn’t take long for her patience for Kairi to run _real_ thin. Her threshold with him was automatically at a minimum considering she fucking hated him, so she knew she had a limited number of exchanges before she lost her temper.  


“You looked lonely is all,” Sae said through grit teeth and a faltering smile.  


Kairi laughed in a single exhale and shook his head. “Look, I’ll save you any more embarrassment, Sae. I would never, ever, under _any_ circumstances, do _anything_ with you.”  


Sae laughed harshly. “Oh, yeah? Well, hat if you were desperate and at the end of your rope? Like—what if Misao died?”  


“Well, let’s think about it this way: Toji’s wife died, and he still wants _nothing_ to do with you. And he’s _way_ nicer than I am.”  


Over the line. Sae was done playing nice. If she were to sleep with Kairi, it would just have to be anger-fueled; there was no way in hell she was letting him get away with that one. She’s pushing him off this dumbass burning bridge.  


“Hey, you know, it’s really funny that you used being married as an excuse when you were this close”—Sae pinched her fingers together to demonstrate—“to fucking Momo last night.”  


“Now—.”  


“Sorry, I just thought that was funny is all.”  


The squirming, the discomfort in his face, it all made Sae tingle. It was different than with other people; Kairi had a way of throwing things back at Sae, so genuinely getting under his skin was, in a word, exhilarating. She couldn’t help but smile—a smug, amused smile that felt natural on her. Sae missed that smile.  


“It wasn’t like that,” Kairi said plainly. “Plus, _she_ came onto _me_ , you know.”  


_Giddy_ was now the word to describe Sae. She loved the smell of a guilty conscience in the morning.  


“Oh, yeah? And how drunk were _you_?”  


Kairi didn’t answer.  


“So, Okayasu, let’s say I didn’t walk in on you. How far would you have gone?”  


“Don’t paint me as the bad guy here,” he said. “Listen, I… You don’t understand what it’s like to have a soulmate. I really think Momo is mine, and I know I messed it up…”  


He paused as if to think of what stupid shit to say next. It was bullshit—Sae knew that. Even if he genuinely felt that way, it was just bullshit he told himself.  


“I was glad she made that move,” he continued, “and I knew she wouldn’t have if she was sober.”  


“So, you took advantage of the situation,” Sae said.  


“That’s not a good way to phrase it. I… I just hoped…”  


“But, in short, you took advantage.”  


Kairi stayed quiet again.  


A sniffle came from Sae’s left. She glanced over to see Momo standing twenty feet away, helpless, teary-eyed. Kairi’s breathing came to an audible pause as he noticed her.  


“Momo…”  


“‘You’re my best friend,’” Momo said with a weak smile. “‘We grew up together.’ That’s what you said.”  


“That’s all true, I…”  


“But that’s not really why you were glad I came, was it? And that’s why you got so… So weird when you thought that me and Sae—.”  


“Well, that’s not _specifically_ why…”  


“I… I already chewed Misao out. I’m too tired to do this. I just want to go home.”  


“Momo—.”  


“I’ve given you… _So_ many chances. I want you in my life, but… God, what _am_ I to you? If you can’t have Misao, you shit on me to get to her. So, what? You just plan to do the same to her? ‘Soulmates...’” Momo repeated the word with disgust. “Whatever. I’m not lonely or stupid enough to believe that.”  


Silence fit Kairi better than anything that came out of his mouth. He pushed past Sae, and then past Momo, and he walked in the direction of his lovely wedded wife.  


The joy in Sae’s mind worked hard to show on her face, but she managed to keep her solemn look steady. She hadn’t even planned this, and it worked out beyond her wildest dreams! Instead of burning the bridge with Momo, she used Kairi to repair it. Everything was okay. Everything could stay the same.  


Running over eagerly, Sae took a couple bags from Momo. She felt a stupid, over-the-moon-happy grin on her face but did nothing to stop it. In return, Momo stared at her with a hard, cold stare. Sae stopped smiling.  


“Do…” Sae started. “Do you want to talk about…?”  


Momo didn’t reply.  


“I…” Sae could feel sweat gathering on the back of her neck. “I’ll call a cab, then.”  


It was just like Momo to not appreciate Sae’s fixing everything. Everything was always Sae’s fault even when it wasn’t. Sae didn’t mind being a scapegoat a lot of the time, but she did now.  


No one said a word until the cab arrived, they packed the luggage into the trunk, and about an hour into the drive. Breathing got progressively harder as if some chucklefuck tried to blow a balloon up in Sae’s chest cavity. It almost felt like an asthma attack, but it had been almost two decades since the last one Sae had. Every time Sae would look at Momo only to have Momo ignore her, it got worse.  


“We should’ve rented a car to come up here,” Momo said.  


Sae rolled her eyes. “Who’d drive?”  


“I would…?”  


“What? When’d you get your license?”  


“A couple years ago.”  


“I didn’t know that.”  


Momo only made a non-committal sound of half-interest. The silence made it feel like ants crawled under Sae’s skin. Why didn’t Momo tell her that? Why didn’t Sae know? Was it in the years that they weren’t close, or before? Or after? Did she just think that wasn’t something Sae would like to know? Sae itched her jaw and started talking again.  


“I lied about why Ayame was in our hotel room.”  


“Okay,” Momo replied.  


“Don’t you want to know what the real reason was?”  


“Not really.”  


Panic rose in Sae’s throat like bile. “Are you still mad? I didn’t do anything. You heard Okayasu.”  


“I’m moving out.”  


Reality stopped for a second. It was put on pause while Sae briefly left her body before snapping back into it. Then things moved slower. She didn’t breathe.  


“Why?” she asked, holding for a second, unsure if she actually uttered the word at all.  


“What am I getting out of living with you? I’m not any closer to getting married, I’m not getting any promotions, I’m… What am I doing?”  


“You don’t pay rent. You’re—you’re saving up.”  


Momo still wouldn’t look at Sae, but she hesitated; almost like she wanted to look but kept herself from doing so. It was driving Sae crazy.  


“Did you think I’d stay forever?” Momo asked.  


“Duh!” Sae shouted. “ _Duh_! Of course I thought you’d stay forever! I—I—I—.” Sae gulped down air. “We, we, we’re a team! Remember, when you said before? We’re a team! You don’t pay rent, I clean, I cook, you come home. It’s like…”  


“You don’t cook.”  


“Yeah, well, I think about cooking! I’d start cooking if it got you to stay!”  


“Why do you want me to stay?”  


“I don’t want you to stay, I just thought…” A sob caught itself in Sae’s throat; she swallowed it. “I just thought that you would stay. Since things blew up with Toji, with… Everything… It was just…”  


Sae stopped, unsure if she was ready to be vulnerable. The back of a taxi wasn’t the right place for that—most places weren’t the right place for that. She wondered what was going through the taxi driver’s head, if she could stop the downward momentum. After everything, she knew Momo didn’t care anyway.  


Words tumbled out of her mouth. “It’s just nice coming home and having someone waiting for you.”  


“You don’t have a job,” Momo said. “You don’t come home to me.”  


“I—well, it’s nice waiting for someone who’s happy to see you when they get home. I wanted that with Toji. He wasn’t happy when he got home—not to see me—but you are, right? Uh, were, I mean.”  


Momo continued to stare straight ahead.  


“I don’t mean, like, too happy, you know? Just… You don’t dread coming home and seeing me there.”  


The silence haunted her violently. Why wouldn’t Momo answer? Why did Sae try to kiss her? Why did Sae try to kiss her? Why, why, why? Why did Sae ruin this in the dumbest way possible? She was happy—she thought Momo was happy, too! It could’ve stayed the same if she didn’t fuck it up so badly—worse than she usually fucked things up. She could’ve lived with the false hope that Momo was happy seeing her every day even though she wasn’t.  


“Is this because the kiss thing?”  


“Oh my _God_!” Momo yelled, throwing her arms up. “You are such a narcissist!”  


“I know that!” Sae yelled back. “Why’s that _specifically_ make me a narcissist, though?”  


“Not everything in my life revolves around you!” Momo looked at Sae now. Sae wished she hadn’t. The fire in her eyes was nothing Sae had ever seen before; not anything in this context, not anything directed at her despite everything they’ve been through. “For some reason, everything in your life revolves around me because you’re fucking _obsessed_ with me! But I have other friends! And I have other problems like, you know, my ex-fiancé trying to sexually assault me last night!”  


“Well—.”  


“But you have to butt your way into everything in my stupid, shitty life, and you just _insist_ on making it shittier! And even when you try to make it less shitty, you just end up making it more shitty! You ruin _everything_!”  


Before Sae could spit vitriol at Momo, the cab came to a halt, jostling her in her seat. Momo undid her seatbelt and got out the car, giving a passive apology to the driver before she did. Sae climbed over the seats to get out the same door as Momo.  


“You take that back!” Sae demanded, thrusting a finger at Momo.  


Without even glancing her way, Momo opened the trunk, took all the bags in her arms, and started to walk towards Sae’s house that loomed over the two of them.  


“Momo,” Sae said. “Take it back!”  


Momo kept walking.  


“Momo,” Sae repeated, toeing the line of pleading, “I didn’t even _do_ anything, I… Momo.”  


“I don’t know what you want from me,” Momo said, stopping in front of the door. “I don’t care. I can’t keep staying with people who I can’t even bring myself to trust just because I feel bad for them.”  


“What?”  


“I feel bad for you, Sae. I look at you, and I just feel bad. I think, ‘This person has nothing. No one cares about her.’ And I care about you! I do! But that’s just not enough.” Momo sighed. “I don’t want to get out of bed most of the time. I don’t want to keep being miserable just to make you a little _less_ miserable.”  


On several different occasions, Sae thought she would die: When she was nine and she had an asthma attack so bad they had to call the ambulance. When she was thirteen and took a handful of sleeping pills and realized she didn’t really want to kill herself. When she was fifteen and shackled to a chair in an unfamiliar room. When she was eighteen and had too much to drink, surrounded by a group of men she didn’t know. In all honesty, with every fiber of her being, Sae would prefer any one of those situations to the one she was currently in.  


“I don’t…” Sae gulped. “I don’t want you to be miserable…”  


“Nothing you’ve ever done has conveyed that. Let’s just go inside.”  


Half-heartedly, Sae tried to think about how selfish Momo was because Sae got her and Kairi together in the first place, among maybe two other things. Sae knew it was all bullshit, though. She was worse than Kairi in that respect, and she knew that full well.  


Momo looked at her expectantly, hands full. Sae stared at her feet, keeping her eyes as wide open as possible, hoping that doing so would stop any sort of tears from forming. She inched forwards and unlocked the door, holding it open for her soon-to-be-former roommate.  


A breath from Momo told Sae that she tried to say something, but she stopped herself. Mercifully, she let Sae have the hope that it would have been words of consolation, something soothing to comfort her. With a nudge, a slight touch from Momo’s arm on Sae’s, Momo walked inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait. been having ptsd. i feel like everyones sort of ooc in this but idk. i have a pretty clear ending in mind now at least. i also have a one-shot (maybe) in the works but im debating on what path to take w/ it bc i could make it saucy verrry easily if i wanted to but i also dont wanna be THAT person. anyway. hold onto yalls horses pwease .


End file.
